Sophist razor

The handle is made of so-called ironwood, which has this name for good reason. Because of its extreme hardness and density, it is extremely durable, tough and resistant, thus particularly suitable for handles and for use in areas where a lot of water is handled. Ironwood is the name given to various hard woods. The ironwood for this razor plane handle comes from Olneya trees in the Sonora Desert in Arizona and is therefore also called desert ironwood. Because of the low population of this tree species, only the wood of already dead trees is used. Its silky glossy polished surface brings out the deepbraunen hue and fine grain particularly well.

Wet shaving with a safety razor requires a fair amount of practice, not to mention a degree of skill. As soon as you have both under your belt, however, this method proves to be just as fast and thorough as shaving with system blades and also brings with it two handy advantages: The blades are not only cheaper, they are also environmentally friendlier in terms of manufacture and disposal, since they are made exclusively of metal.
As with any piece of kit, it is the details that make the difference; and so it is with razors. Subtle differences in the way they are made can have an eminent effect on handling and feel while shaving. Although razors with an open comb may allow for a very direct shaving technique, for example, they should only be used by a skilled hand. Razors with a closed comb, by contrast, offer a gentler shave, but don't scrimp on thoroughness. What’s more, they are suitable for those who are unfamiliar with this kind of razor. The choice of the handle, on the other hand, is purely a matter of taste; while one prefers a cool handle made of porcelain, others may opt for the warm velvety feel of natural horn or choose easy-to-clean synthetic resin. Ultimately, it is the interplay of weight, grip material and the type of razor head (open or closed comb), not forgetting the brush quality, which can transform an everyday object into a tool that is a pleasure to hold in the hand. Even if shaving is not counted as one of life’s favourite occupations, the right shaving utensils have the potential to turn shaving into an enjoyable ritual.

The shape of this Mühle razor is based on the classic form, albeit with a slightly longer handle and closed comb. As the razor can be separated into three parts, it can be cleaned very easily. The comb and cover are made of die-cast zinc, whilst the handle can be optionally made of horn, synthetic resin or porcelain, each with an end piece of chrome-plated brass. The razor comes with a blade, while matching shaving brushes, with fine silvertip badger hair, can be found in our assortment.

While not every craft business succeeds in balancing tradition and modernity, the Mühle shaving brush manufactory does: The still family-run company has preserved the traditional knowledge of the craft while welcoming new materials, manufacturing methods and contemporary designs. The manufactory in the Ore Mountains produces articles, 90% handmade, for wet shaving. The heart of the company is up to the present day the manufacturing of the shaving brush. The brush makers need a sure touch, a steady hand and a good eye to work with the fine badger hair. In the first step, they carefully sort the hair, weigh the fibres out to the tenth of a gram and then tap them into shape in a box. Then they take the 20,000 or so hairs with great care out of the moulding box and, without a single hair slipping out of place, tie them firmly into a tassel called loft. When they have finished the form of the loft, they glue and mount it on the handle of the shaving brush. They manufacture all brushes with extreme care, whether made of badger hair or special synthetic fibres; we offer both hair and fibres in a range of different qualities. Mühle produces the shaving brushes and razors in full at the company’s headquarters in Hundshübel. Parts are sourced as far as possible from the region.

Wood is a natural product, color and grain each turn out differently.

Horn is a natural product which always differs in colouring and graining. So products made of this material are never identical and thus unique in colour and marking. The product should be treated regularly, with our horn balm for example.